The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-08-18
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have 10 Say About
Their Old Campaigns
The Circumstances Undw Which lie Fell Al Chan
eallnrsNllie.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Ny expert
ence goes that 70 years ago the most ol a. were
MOI nearly anxious 10 get 90 tue NOM a VIC
seem 10 Dc nov Whom the J0hanIc5 were q lose
AL baud, we were often more than satisfied TO
Del some Other fellow pet ahead 81 ~, especially
III hu WAS nf goud sac, 40 We could use him Tor
breastw orinH. 4 am lntrrested ln a matter which
has been much written about aud many differ
ent versions OF beliefs haFe boom given, and an
event at tie time ol much Importance 10 boih
sides j aliude Go the wOunding Of StOnewail
jackson. The writer has already given hiseX-
porlunce on that memorable occasion, and u was
published la TIE NATIONAL TRIBUNE OF Jnly
rs. loS5. j would like 10 make some comments
on the accounts OF Capt. James Power smith,
q, :. A.. published ia IBE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
Oct. 7. 1850. aud of ComrAde Jos. Il. hutteT, 90.
d, lst Mass, printed Nov. n, lss6.
Capt. Smith says: lie lJaoksonJ passed the
swanpy depression aud began the ascent OF the
hill toward charlottesville, where he came
upon line of Federal infantry lying on their
arms Fired al by one or two muskeis,' etc
C0mrade Nntter says that he only got 10 the
edge af the swampy depression, etc. and thinks
the fearless Captain must have been dream
ing 4" aud il the iatIer bc the case would say
that Comrade Nutter must have been sound
asleep just al that particular time.
Now allowing their line 90 have been in the
middle Of the swanpy depression" with pick
cts two or three rods la front, as he says he
was uOt Uerg near 10 where
sToEEW ALL JACKSON FELL.
The situation ou The plank road so-called was
about this Que section Of battery was di-
roctly on the plank about 100 yards 30 the front
from the creek On tie south side Of the
plank road was Milliamss Division. OF the
Twelfth Corps Win the right resting directly
on the plank road, aud about 290 yards 10 the
front from the creek. So Capt Smith and Com
rade Nutter must both be in error when they
SAY that jackson approached very near 10 the
stream on the south side Of the road, where the
bank was cleared iur about 100 yards on the
west side before coming 10 the woods. On the
north side of the rOad-where COmrade Nutter
SAYS they Mere-Was something OF marsh or
small swamp, with the woods extending across
the creek and up on 10 the hight of ground to-
ward the charlottesville House, but the brush
seemed TO have been cut out and the trees were
scattering.
The writer passed along nearly the whole
front of Milliamss Division, from left TO right,
clear TO the edge of the plank road, keeping
just In the edge of the timber on the south
side of the road. went to the front until
THE CONFEDERATE LINE
was reached, being, / should say, about 400
yards, OF one fourth of mile, from the line of
Milliams's Division. j had there a little con-
versation with the 5th Ala, e. s. A. i then
returned to our line near the plank road, and
WAS very soon sent 10 the front again, within
100 yards or less of the Confederate lines when
heard horses on the plank road They being
In my rear and coming from toward our lines,
my first thought WIS that ii was Gen. knipe,
our brigade commander and the next that the
section of battery before mentioned was moving
20 the front; but just AT this moment some
thing directly IN front drew my attention.
During all the time occupied in my move
l..al
given only TO give an idea of the time occupied,
and perhaps 10 show that i was awake-which
must have been a full half hour or more, j am
very sure that there was not gun fired within
my hearing The first voey was now fired
directly in my front, and / could plainly see
the flashes of the guns. Very soou the firing
was commenced from our side, but could not
say from which side of the road, as the shots
were too far away. They seemed TO come from
the north side OF the road. liz more than one
yoley was fired from in front / have no recOl-
lection of IL. After about the time il would
seem necessary to man the guns,
OUR BATTEETEs OPENED,
and the way things came tearing down that
road for about five minutes was not slow
AS 60 whose bullets struck jackson, i, of
course, am unable 90 say; but that the Confed-
crates fired The FIRST shots dO know and from
the close proximity TO his own lines 4 think it
from apparently authentic sources on their
side agree that ID IL so. One thing is certain in
my mind aud that Is. III the Confederate bullets
did not DO the work. those from our side would
not have been fired had not the Coniederates
fired first. j do not think the COnfeGerates
fired carelessy, but on the contrary had good
and sufficient reason for doing SO, having lust
been told by some one immediately In their
front that he they were Union skirn sh-
ers. They OF course Thought the horsemen
must belong 10 the same side aud fired into
them, otherwise no attention might have been
paid them. Every old soldier knows that on
some Of these night occasions il was no unusual
thing 10 get badly mixed, men and officers
often getting IN with troops on the other side
and escaping without being detected
The writer has good recollection OF another
night picnic, and being for some time file
closer
I'M THE 14TH TENN, c. q. A.,
but no other circumstance having any bearing
on the future history Of the war--like the one
ht Chanceli0rvilie--0ccur az the time il
is not worth mentioning; only at one time
when discussion was rather warm over admit
ting certain comrades into the GAR who had
seen previous service Ia The C. 5. A., began TO
think that perhaps my rights in the same had
been forfeited.
The account Of Capt Smith seems all right
except as 10 The distance that they got 10 their
front, aud the firing he mentions when near
our lines. Then, the space OF time that elansed
between the firing OF the first volley from their
own men until the opening Of our artillery
would seem by his account 10 have been longer
Than can possibly make It, His account of
the hrst volley from their men being on the
leit-sOuth-oi the road, is precisely as saw
IL, but as before stated i did not see or hear
any more hiring from in my front. Smith saws
another WAS soon after Tired from the north
side OF the road by the right company of Pen
ders North Cardinal Brigade, which Il. no
doubt correct. lie says nothing about the
musketry firing from the Union lines, but in
the excitement which must have followed il
might not have been noticed, they being too
lar away 10 do much damage. lie gives a very
vivid account OF the artillery firing from our
side which opened on Them and in reading bis
story Can almost
SEE AND HEAR 1T AGAIN.
I'm the account of Comrade Nutter I cannot
zee anything 20 make me think that he knows
very much about what he writes and If their
lines were where he locates them, with picktsts
mo further 10 the front than described 4 am
very certain he does not. He says, "Our artil.
lery sent few shot aud shell over our their
heads" which may be correct as TO their heads
for there were but few If any guns near the
plank on the north side of the road / sun.
pose ON account of the woods but il Comrade
Nutter had been near the plank farther 10 the
front, or on the south side OF IT, / think he
would have thought that there were more than
lew. Ar 10 the conversations he tells about
there was no time alter the FIRST voley when
mol